The Indigo Summer
by Fluttering Phalanges
Summary: Fatherhood has never come easy to single parent, Haymitch Abernathy. However, when his young daughter, Katniss, comes home from her first day of kindergarten covered in glitter, throwing pencils at their cat claiming they're arrows, and proclaiming she is something called a mockingjay, temptation leads Haymitch to meet the quirky, fashionista teacher his daughter calls Ms. Trinket
1. Periwinkle

**I'm not really sure how this came to mind, but when it did, I just had to begin writing it. It's AU. There are no Hunger Games, nor really totalitarian presidents (at least, not in a nation sense but business wise...). And for the sake of this story, Katniss Everdeen is now Katniss Abernathy, daughter of Haymitch. Alrighty, here's chapter one! Feedback is greatly loved and appreciated! -Jen**

Chapter one: Periwinkle

_He could taste the smoke as it bellowed out in thick, black clouds from the fallen remains of the factory. Police car lights flickered through the ashen scenery, nearly choked out by the immense fire that would occasionally shoot out from various places in the rubble. There had been warning signs. So many predictors that pointed to the old, worn down boilers in the basement that were at such high risk for overheating it seemed ridiculous the damned place passed the inspector's investigation. And now everyone had to pay the price for the corporation's stupidity. _

_He tried to push through the crowd that had gathered behind the yellow caution tape. His hand reached forward, readying to move it out of the way when an officer grabbed him by the shoulders. He swung around, eyes burning from both the smoke and anger. He had to get through. He needed to go over there. To search. To look. Just as all the other uncertain families desired. _

"_My wife," he coughed, trying to break free from the officer's grasp. "My wife, she works here. I have to see...I have to make sure..."_

"_I'm sorry, sir," the officer apologized. "But we can't allow civilians in. It's too dangerous." _

"_Damn your safety precautions," he hissed, elbowing the man just as two others approached and took a hold of him as well. "Damn you! Damn you all, my wife is in there. My wife..."_

"_Daddy?"_

Haymitch's eyes shot open and within seconds, he was sitting up straight. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he looked around the room, knocking over an empty bottle of liquor from the table with his elbow as he did so. As the glass made contact with the floor and shattered, a small startled gasp caused him to look forward at the little figure who stood before him. His tense position relaxed and a breath of relief slipped past his chapped lips.

"Sweetheart," he said hoarsely. "What are you doing up this early?"

Katniss looked at her father quietly, her dark brown hair falling messily over her shoulders. In her arms, Haymitch noted the periwinkle backpack Ms. Hawthorne had purchased for her birthday last week. When he put two and two together, he nearly let the slur of curse words aimed at himself escape from his tongue. How could he have forgotten today of all days?

"It's the first day of school," he said more for his own benefit. "Kindergarten."

Katniss nodded her head slowly, "You forgot, didn't you?"

"No," he lied quickly. "Of course I didn't. Just forgot to set my alarm. Do you want me to make you some breakfast? Eggs maybe?"

"I already made myself a bowl of cereal," she said quietly.

_Of course you did. _Haymitch thought to himself as he slowly stood up from the kitchen table, knocking over a second empty bottle. He winced at the noise, his head still ringing from the previous night's drinking as he stepped over the broken glass, promising himself to clean it up after he dropped Katniss off at school. Exhaling in an attempt to clear his mind, he looked down to his young daughter who acted more like an adult than he did most of the time.

"Need help with your hair?"

She nodded and turned around. Haymitch reached over the kitchen counter and grabbed the hairbrush he kept meaning to return to the bathroom. Carefully, he attempted to brush through the many knots that had nested in his daughter's hair. A few times, the brush got stuck and he pulled it harder than he probably should have. But no matter how much he yanked or tore through, she never uttered a peep. She never really had talked much since the incident last year. At least, not to him.

"I've never been good at styling hair," he said, attempting to lighten the mood. "Your mother was better at this than I am."

"Mom's dead," Katniss responded.

Haymitch stiffened, his hand pausing mid-brush. After a moment, he placed the object down and turned Katniss to face him. His eyes locked with hers, and for a second, he saw his late wife staring back at him. Inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and blinked. Katniss had returned. Her own eyes filled with an unmentioned sorrow. He sighed, pulling her into an awkward hug.

"If she were here, she'd be very proud of you right now. You know that right?" Haymitch asked. "She loved you very much, Sweetheart. I know she'd want you to have fun today and make new friends."

"Why," Katniss said pulling away. "No one wants to be my friend."

"You don't know that," Haymitch said. "What about that kid Ms. Hawthorne has? Glenn was it?"

"Gale, dad," Katniss corrected. "And he's not in kindergarten. He's going into second grade. He doesn't count."

His eyes flickered momentarily over at the clock that sat on the wall. It was nearly seven in the morning and school was said to begin exactly fifteen minutes past that. Taking the brush once more through Katniss's hair, he stood up, placing it back on its temporary spot on the counter. He took his own, faded coat off a nearby chair and looked to Katniss.

"Go grab your jacket," he told her. "We need to get going."

**xXx**

The ride to Panem Academy wasn't an improvement from the somber morning at home. Nearly the entire way there, Katniss did not utter a single word to her father. Haymitch watched her occasionally from the rear view mirror, nearly tempted to turn the car around and wait another year before starting her in school. She still wasn't over the death of her mother and though she chose not to openly talk about her feelings, she was far from the daughter he had a year ago. Placing his foot on the break, he slowly approached the sidewalk of the school, stopping just inches behind another car's bumper.

"I can walk myself in," Katniss told him as he went to undo his belt. "I know where to go."

He hesitated, watching her from the mirror again. "Are you sure?" He asked, a part of him thinking it best to bring her in himself anyway. "You've never seen this school before."

"I know where to go," she repeated. "Gale promised to show me."

Haymitch sighed in defeat, his head was throbbing too much to argue with the child. What would his late wife think if she saw the man he had become? Drunk. Practically deadbeat. Their daughter far beyond her years in maturity. And he knew the moment he returned home, he'd open a new bottle of whiskey to drown away his misery until it was time to retrieve Katniss.

"Alright," he said finally. "I'll be here to pick you up at three, okay? I-"

But Katniss was already slamming the car door closed. He waited until he saw that she was safely inside the school before he pulled away from the curb and began to drive back in the direction of his home. The ancient car rattled and groaned with each pothole it hit on the poorly paved road as he eventually pulled up into the driveway and got out, leaving the keys sitting in the ignition. It wasn't like there were many thieves in the area who were desperate enough to want to possess something as junky as this.

Stumbling inside, he flipped on the dim light of the kitchen and looked around the mess for an unopened bottle. Finding one, he uncorked the top and collapsed into his rickety chair that doubled as a sleeping place most nights. He took a large plug, feeling the liquid burn as it spread throughout his body causing a false sense of warmth and comfort. He breathed through his nose, placing the bottle down momentarily when Buttercup leaped up onto the table, its matted fur and raunchy appearance fitting in perfectly with the setting behind him.

"Hey," he mumbled, scratching the old, flea bitten cat behind its scarred ear. "Tough day for you too?"

Buttercup purred, licking Haymitch's callused hand with his rough tongue. He made a face, questioning how this cat was still alive after so many years before grabbing his bottle again and taking another sip. His eyes shifted back to the clock, watching as the hands rhythmically ticked around the face. The sound soothing and almost hypnotizing with each motion. Lulling him slowly back into slumber.

"_What...what the hell do you mean there was nothing you could do?" Haymitch stared wide-eyed at the doctor before him. "Pump her with some more medication. Save her!"_

_The doctor looked at him sadly, sorrow nearly masking the exhaustion in the man's face. This wasn't the first family he had to break the news about the factory casualties too, and certainty it was not his last. Haymitch's hands trembled violently, the urge to either break down or beat the living hell out of this man battling within him. There was no way she could be dead. He just had seen her this morning. Watched as she kissed their daughter goodbye before departing. She couldn't be gone. She couldn't leave them alone._

"_What am I supposed to tell my daughter?!" He hissed, shoving a finger to the doctor's chest. "Did you think about that after you called time of death? Tell me how I'm supposed to tell my little girl that she'll never see her mother again!"_

"_I'm sorry, sir," the doctor repeated. "We tried everything but your wife's body couldn't handle anymore stress. The factory is willing to compensate you for all medical expenses-" _

"_I don't want the damn money," Haymitch's voice broke. "I want you to save my wife. Please. I'll do anything. Pay anything! Just save her."_

Something wet sloshed across Haymitch's face and he opened his eyes just in time to see an animal leap off the table and scamper away. Groaning, he sat up and saw exactly what it was he felt. His whiskey. Silently cursing Buttercup, he sat the bottle up properly when the telephone rang. He froze, waiting to see if it rang again or if he had just had too much liquor to drink. No one ever called the house. At least, not unless it was a wrong number.

The phone rang a second time. Then a third. Finally, Haymitch found it in himself to stand from his chair and answer to see what the fuss was about. Holding the phone to the dry side of his face, he absentmindedly wiped away the whiskey from the other using his sleeve.

"Hello," he answered dryly.

"Oh! Why hello," an unusually enthusiastic voice chirped. "Is this the Abernathy residence?"

"Yes," Haymitch mumbled. "But we're not interested in what you're selling if you're one of those telemarketers."

"I'm your daughter's teacher, Ms. Trinket," the woman responded. "Your daughter is Katniss, correct?"

Suddenly concern replaced annoyance at the mention of his child. "Yeah, she's my kid," Haymitch said. "Why, is everything alright? Is she okay?"

"Oh, more than fine," Ms. Trinket answered. "I was just calling to see if you were indeed planning on retrieving her from school today."

Now concern was replaced by confusion. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, of course I was. What kind of question is that? I was planning to get her at three o'clock."

"It would be four o'clock now, Mr. Abernathy," Ms. Trinket said. "The school day ended an hour ago."

"What?"

He whipped around to look at the clock, his heart nearly stopping when he had. Sure enough, it read four o'clock in the afternoon. He had inadvertently fallen asleep for the entire period Katniss had been in class. Frantic, he quickly grabbed his coat, still gripping on tightly to the phone as he searched for his keys. After a good two minutes of looking, he finally remembered he had left them in the ignition. Flustered, he quickly slipped on his jacket and, after dropping the phone a few times, was ready to head out the door.

"Shit," he hissed. "Dammit. I'm really sorry. I lost track of time." How could he have forgotten something this important for a second time today? Katniss would never forgive him. "Look, I'll be right over there in ten minutes. Okay? Just tell Katniss to hold on."

Haymitch didn't even bother to say goodbye much less thank Ms. Trinket for her troubles as he slammed the phone down into the holder. He half jogged, half ran out of the house and into his car before starting the engine. He would have a hell of a time making this up to Katniss. He wouldn't even be surprised if she never spoke to him again. Partly asleep, partly intoxicated, and greatly stressed out, the man sped down the road and towards the elementary school to greet whatever perils awaited him there. Unknowing that their lives would soon change forever.


	2. Cyan

**Huge thanks to ****HogwartsDreamer113, BeanDipMcGee, blueskyblues, Uncle Joker, Juliet's Shadow, Saltey, FallenAshe, Steady Silence, Clara Meliza, tap-Violeta, Deadlyrose70, All For Jesus, Gdreams, Fan, and Eithne9 for your lovely feedback about last chapter. And much gratitude to those who favorited and alerted this story. I don't usually write AUs so all the support this story has received so far has truly been inspirational (and is the reason this chapter has been completed instead of going on a forever hiatus). Now, without further ado, here is the next chapter! **

Chapter two: Cyan

It wasn't particularly hard for Haymitch to find which classroom his daughter was located in. As he wandered down the long stretch of hallway, he came across the only room that still had its lights on. He inhaled, his mind racing to formulate a good reason for his tardiness as he stepped into the room, secretly hoping the mint gum he had vigorously chewed on the way there would mask the scent of liquor.

"Ah, you must be Mr. Abernathy."

If colors could blind, Haymitch would have needed to invest in a pair of very hardy eyeglasses in that exact moment. For before him, stood the most unusual woman he had ever seen. She wore a bright cyan dress suit complete with the most obnoxious high heels he had ever feasted his eyes on. Her makeup was applied in thick layers across her face in such a way, he could not help but wonder if her previous job involved scaring civilians at the local circus. And as if to complete the absurdity, in the place of where her normal hair should have been, she adorned a gold wig that was as large as prize winning pumpkin.

"Ms. Effie Trinket," the woman addressed, a gloved hand outstretched towards his own. "Kindergarten teacher of Panem Academy, first year."

"Haymitch Abernathy," Haymitch said awkwardly taking her hand. "Father to Katniss Abernathy, six years."

Her smile told him that she didn't understand he had just been mocking as she dropped the handshake and nodded towards a nearby table. Haymitch peered in the direction and saw the small figure of a girl with her back turned to them. Katniss. A sense of guilt came over him at the realization she hadn't even looked to notice that he had come into the classroom. Saying she was upset was putting it mildly. God only knew what he'd have to do to make this up to her.

"I told her you'd show up," Effie smiled. "She didn't believe me, the silly girl. But I knew you would. See Katniss, your father did come!"

Katniss doesn't turn around and for a few seconds, there was a pregnant pause. Then, evidently bothered by the lack of conversation, Effie clasped her hands together causing Haymitch to wince slightly from the unexpected noise. She looked at him, beaming with bright pink lips that made him wish he were still at home in a liquor induced sleep.

"She's a bright girl, your Katniss," Effie declared, looking over at her again. "Knew every letter to the alphabet as well as her numbers up to thirty. You should be very proud!"

"Can't really take credit for that," Haymitch mumbled uncomfortably. "I wasn't the parent who taught her those things."

"Well then send my regards to Mrs. Abernathy," Effie said. "I'm sure she will be thrilled to hear it."

When Haymitch didn't respond to this, the smile immediately faded from Effie's face. She looked quickly from the man to his daughter, her mouth slowly curving into an expression of horror. Even though she had failed to pick up Haymitch's jokes towards her early, she appeared to realize her fatal error when nothing was said about her student's mother.

"Oh," she breathed. "Oh my, I'm...I'm so sorry. I didn't realize. I just assumed that-oh," and she looked as if she could burst into tears at any given moment. "Oh, you poor, poor dear. How terrible. How absolutely awful!"

"No need to get upset," Haymitch told her. "You didn't know. We're used to this sort of thing."

"Well it doesn't make me feel any less guilty about rattling those painful memories in your mind," Effie said with a wave of her hand. "You are a good man for taking care of your little girl, Mr. Abernathy. A good man."

"Yeah," Haymitch muttered, his eyes flickering over to the unresponsive Katniss. "Maybe."

The strong floral aroma of Effie's perfume was being to irritate Haymitch's nasal passages as he made his way over to Katniss. With his attention focused on weaving through the tiny tables that laden the floor, he was unaware of the glass bowl sitting on the podium adjacent to him until his elbow knocked against its surface. A sharp intake of breath escaped from Effie's lips as the platform trembled slightly, the bowl weaving to and fro on top. Still relatively uneasy from his earlier alcohol partaking, he made a clumsy grab for it only to provide the last amount of energy needed for it to tumble down and shatter to the floor.

"My reaping bowl," Effie moaned. "That was crystal!"

"You brought crystal into a classroom with six year olds?" Haymitch muttered, too fed up with how his day turned out to even offer an apology. "I'm surprised it even lasted this long."

"Well," Effie snapped, the cheerfulness slipping from her tone. "I...I didn't expect anyone to knock it over! It was for my choir reaping!"

"Your...what?" Haymitch asked, wanting nothing more than to grab Katniss and get out of this woman's sight.

"My choir reaping! You know, you pull a name from the...oh, I'll just show you."

Haymitch watched as Effie clipped past him in her high heels, only to stop at the remains of her treasured object. Gracefully, she swooped down only to retrieve one of the many tiny pieces of paper he just now noticed were scattered in among the glass shards. Straightening back up, she delicately smoothed the slip between her fingers before clearing her throat.

"If this were a normal class, I would announce a chore such as passing napkins out to all the children for snack time. And then, I _would_ randomly draw a name from my bowl-or lack there of-and say," her eyes scanned the paper. "Primrose Everdeen! And Primrose would be given the task of handing out napkins. Unless, of course, someone else volunteered to do so."

"And you had to use a crystal bowl for this?" Haymitch inquired.

"It adds flair and drama," Effie retorted. "I wouldn't expect you to understand!"

"As if you don't bring enough of that to the table, Princess," Haymitch added quietly.

"Pardon me?!" Effie breathed. "You may be a parent, Mr. Abernathy, but I will not stand to be spoken to like some...some bimbo! I do not appreciate your choice of pet names! I'll have you know-"

But Effie quickly closed her mouth mid-sentence, her eyes fixated on something other than her offender. Haymitch, both curious and relieved by this, looked in the direction she was and saw that Katniss had finally turned to face them. She watched them expressionlessly, something clutched between her small fingers. Then, without a word, she stood from her seat and walked over to her father's side.

"Can we go home now?" She asked quietly, not meeting his gaze. "I'm tired."

Haymitch's eyes fell on Effie who, at the moment, looked mortified with herself. A small part of him felt guilty for what happened, but his pride-or possibly lack there of-kept him from admitting so. He looked to Katniss, awkwardly placing a hand on her shoulder. She didn't shy away, only stand there completely still as if her muscles permitted her from doing otherwise. It was then that he noticed her hair was no longer hanging loosely down her back, but was instead in a braid. He wondered if one of the other girls in the class had done it because even though he was intoxicated and didn't exactly remember too much of getting ready that morning, he knew for certain he held no talent for hair styling in the slightest.

"Yeah," he said. "Sure. Go grab your backpack and we'll get out of Ms. Trinket's hair." It took a lot for him not to make a joke about her wig, but for Katniss's sake, he'd at least try to behave the remaining time in her company. "Don't forget your coat."

Effie's eyes seemed to follow Katniss as the girl returned to her table and began to gather her belongings. "Well," she breathed. "I better be leaving too, I suppose. I have dinner tonight with some old friends. Best not to make them wait. I believe strict schedules are important to follow."

Haymitch wondered if that was a passive aggressive mark at his tardiness as Katniss rejoined them. Effie smiled softly at her, extending her hand just far enough to pull a stray strand of his daughter's hair behind her ear. Her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but immediately shut her mouth and decided upon just smiling instead.

"It was lovely to meet you today, Katniss," she said gently. "You're a very lovely young girl. I look forward to having you in my class this year." Her eyes flickered over to Haymitch momentarily before returning to her student. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow, I hope?" And then to Haymitch once more. "Seven o'clock sharp?" Katniss nodded and Effie smiled. "Well then, I'll let you go then. Goodbye, Katniss," and with a nod to Haymitch. "Mr. Abernathy."

**xXx**

It had begun to storm by the time Haymitch and Katniss left the school building. The rain fell relentlessly in large, unforgiving drops of bitter cold. Haymitch pulled his own jacket tighter across his body, knocking Katniss's hood over her head as they hurried to the car. He threw open the driver's door nearly sliding across the slick leather of the seat as he fumbled with the ring of keys. Finally, coming across the one assigned specifically for the vehicle, he thrust it into the ignition and waited for Katniss to be safely buckled before pulling away.

The windshield wipers screeched and whined as they moved swiftly back and forth across the glass, scattering thin streams of water off the sides of the car. Haymitch peered in the rear-view mirror every so often, watching Katniss stare out her own rain rivulet window. Her face still held the same expressionless features it had back in the classroom and Haymitch chewed the inside of his cheek in self aggravation from his daughter's disappointment.

"Your hair," he said, ending the prolonged silence. "The braid. A friend do that?"

"Ms. Trinket," Katniss said quietly. "After class when you didn't show up."

"She's a weird woman," he commented, slowing down as they drove through a rather large puddle. "She must be new to town. Never seen anyone dress like that before. Looks like she forgot today wasn't Halloween or something."

"I like her," Katniss replied. "She's nice and you went and broke her bowl. She'll probably hate me now."

"I'll get her a new bowl if it meant so much," he replied tersely. "And just because we didn't get along doesn't mean she's going to hate you by association."

Katniss didn't respond this time but instead returned to her scenery gazing. Haymitch exhaled, wishing that he could just bash his head against the steering wheel. He had never been that great at being a parent, even when Katniss's mother was alive. It was hard. Grueling hard. And having his daughter be loathsome towards him didn't help the situation either.

"Look," he said. "I'm sorry about today. I didn't mean to leave you at school. I just got caught up with things at home. It was an accident, Kat, it won't happen again. I promise."

Haymitch pulled up into the driveway, the car bouncing slightly as it crossed over the pothole covered road. He turned the key, listening as the car's putters die down into complete silence. At that moment, his eyes flickered up to the rear view mirror just in time to catch the new look that had crossed his daughter's face. An expression of both rage and sorrow. One that he had no seen since that faithful day over a year ago.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," she whispered, tears forming in her gray eyes.

With that, she exited the car, leaving Haymitch to sit alone in the rain to wallow in his self inflicted misfortune. It was moments like this where not even the heaviest of drinks could temporarily solve his problems. Haymitch brought his fist down on the dashboard, watching the water turn from drops to a torrent across his windshield. Hoping that tomorrow would hold a brighter future. But knowing deep down the chances were very unlikely.

**I promise the story will start to turn in a more positive tone than the depressive one it's in now. I have some exciting Haymitch/Effie interaction planned for the next chapter as well as the introduction of characters such as President Snow (whose title holds a much different meaning than it did in the Hunger Games series) I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! I seriously cannot thank you enough for the response I got for the last chapter! ****Feedback is greatly loved and appreciated and is the best motivator when it comes to speedy updates! Happy Thanksgiving and Hannukah!-Jen**


	3. Cerulean

**Much gratitude to Juliet's Shadow, Sam-Daughter Of Athena, allonsysilvertongue, Savysnape7, Guest, tap-Violeta, Eithne9, Clara Meliza, Saltey, Deadlyrose70, moonlight goose, DCdreamer55, Alice, HogwartsDreamer113, YouClickedMe, Gdreams, BeanDipMcGee, accio-divergent-mockingjays, Kristi, and sophy2431 for your incredible, very motivational feedback left for the previous chapter. And a huge thanks to those who've followed and favorited this story. Seriously, you guys make me so ridiculously happy, I can't even explain. Anyway, I'll stop rambling now! Here is the next chapter!**

Chapter three: Cerulean

The rain was still going strong as Haymitch Abernathy frantically searched for his work uniform in the early hours of the morning. As usual, the previous night he had overindulged in his precious liquor which had subsequently left in asleep far later than he had intended to be. And only when the loud crash of thunder from the raging storm overhead had startled him from unconsciousness had he realized his mistake.

"Shit," he hissed, tossing crumbled articles of clothing from the large pile of laundry in his room. "Dammit, I saw it a few days ago. Where the hell could it possibly have gone?"

The death of his wife had left him and Katniss with a small fortunate provided by the factory as compensation, but the sum was not nearly enough for the two to live off of sufficiently. When he could, Haymitch worked for Capitol Lumber, the only successful industry their town possessed. However, jobs were hard to come by and even harder to keep, and the business tycoon in charge of it all, President Snow, was far from lenient when it came to any of the employees-no matter the situation they were in.

Haymitch's head throbbed from the aftermath of last night's drinking as he finally managed to pull a wrinkled-but located-uniform from the near bottom of the pile of dirty clothing. With callused fingers, he attempted to smooth the creases down with his hands-which only smeared grime and dirt that had been on his skin across the cloth's surface. The effort had only made the ordeal worse. Far too exhausted to really even care at this point, Haymitch slipped on the attire before heading off to Katniss's room where, unlike him, she was still fast asleep.

"Katniss," Haymitch said softly, gently shaking the shoulder of the sleeping girl. "Kat, wake up."

Slowly, two gray eyes peaked out from under heavy lids as a yawn escaped from the young child's mouth. She blinked a few times, a look of confusion flashing across her features before it disappeared into a solemn stare. Haymitch reached forward, hesitating momentarily before pushing the untamed locks of unbrushed hair from out of her face.

"What time is it?" She asked slowly, still half asleep from what Haymitch could tell. "Am I going to be late for school?"

"No, it's only five in the morning," he responded. "I have to go to work. Listen," he sat on the edge of her bed. "You can go back to sleep for a bit. I can't drive you to class today, but Ms. Hawthorne agreed to come here and pick you up and take you to school for me. In the afternoon when she comes to get Gale, she'll get you too and take you to her place for dinner. Then I'll get you from there after work. Alright?"

She nodded tiredly and Haymitch could not help but wonder if she had understood anything he had just said. Pressing his lips together, he patted Katniss's knee in an awkward show of affection before rising. When he went to leave her room, he paused and looked behind him. She had already fallen back asleep, her features just as somber as they were when she was awake. Perhaps he would have found this humorous if it hadn't been his own faults that caused such disappointment in his daughter's eyes. He looked away, inhaling deeply before he finally exited her bedroom and closed the door after him.

**xXx**

"Well I was wondering when you planned to show your ass around here!"

Those were the first words to greet Haymitch as he slid his time-card into the appropriate slot. He glanced around and smirked as his attention landed on the grinning, one armed figure belonging to that of his old friend Chaff. The older man walked up to him, his own uniform soaked in a mixture of sweat and sawdust as he lightly punched the side of Haymitch's forearm with his good hand.

"You look rough, 'Mitch," Chaff snorted. "Snow's gonna hand your sorry ass back to you on a platter once he learns your hear. We've been short staffed today, weather or some stupid excuse like that. He's pissed by those who didn't show up-or came in late for that matter. It ain't pretty. How's the kid?"

"Look whose talking," Haymitch joked, giving a crooked smile as he nodded to the stump of where Chaff's arm should have been. "Not like you offer much to the company anyway."

"Ah," Chaff smirked, shaking his stump in Haymitch's face. "Immunity, my brother. Snow can't fire me even if he wanted to. He doesn't want to deal with the insurance companies on his ass. Perks of losing your arm in a work related accident."

Chaff was right about that. Since one of the many sawmills of Capitol Lumber had been the reason he had lost his arm, President Snow was unable to let him go without having many lawsuits thrown at him in response. The settlement money from the accident had been decent-far much more than Haymitch had received from his wife's employer. If Chaff had wanted to, he could have easily stopped working and lived off what he had been given. However, like Haymitch, he suffered from not only a drinking problem but a gambling one as well. It wasn't long before the money he had earned had left his pocket twice as fast and he had to return to work to feed his ever hungry addictions.

"So," Chaff said, picking off the bits of wood from his clothing. "The kid, how is she?"

"Katniss? She's hanging in there," Haymitch replied. "Still going through a lot, I guess. Last visit to Dr. Aurelius, he told me it's going to take time for her to heal. But that was a good while ago. Not really sure when that time is going to come."

"She start school?" Chaff asked. "My neighbors, the Odairs-at least I think that's there name-were outside their damn house at seven in the morning snapping about a hundred pictures of their son. Annoying as hell, if you ask me. But made me think of your girl."

"Yeah, she did," Haymitch said leaning against the wall. "She's got one hell of a teacher though. You should see this woman. Looks like one of those frilly dolls you'd see a girl from a wealthy family have if it came to life. Smells like she bathes in perfume too. Definitely not from around here originally, I'll tell you that."

"Hm," Chaff hummed as if he wasn't paying too much attention. "But is she hot?"

"What?"

"Hot. You know, fine...sexy...good looking. How's the rack on her? Did you get a good look?" Chaff asked, looking at Haymitch intently. "You can always tell how a woman is in bed by the way she carries herself. Why just the other day, I was at The City Circle-you know that fancy new nightclub they have a few miles away from town? Anyway this girl comes up to me. Portia, I think her name was. And Mitch, man, you should have seen the t-"

"What? No," Haymitch interrupts, shaking his head as if he were still caught on the topic of Effie Trinket. "She's my kid's teacher, I'm not going to... Besides, she wore too much damn makeup for me to be able to tell anything... No. No I didn't. Anyway, she's too high-strung for my taste. Too fancy..."

Chaff chuckled and shook his head, his hands shoved deep into pockets. Haymitch looked him in confusion, a slight feeling of irritation crawling up his spine as he observed his friend. He may have been his best friend, but the man knew how to push a button or two. Even more so when Haymitch was recovering from being wasted.

"What?" He asked sharply.

"Nothing," Chaff smiled. "Just seems like every woman you ever come in contact with is "too high strung" for you."

"What's that supposed to mean," Haymitch started, his tone edged with annoyance.

"Didn't mean to offend you, I only meant-"

But the two men fell silently as they took notice of a third person to join their company. Tall, lean, and far too up-kept to be even in the proximity of the facility, General Manager Seneca Crane stood before them adorned in a white construction hat and holding a clipboard. His lips pressed together, gaze shifting between Haymitch and Chaff.

"Haymitch Abernathy?" He read, glancing briefly down at his clipboard before back up at them. "You're wanted upstairs in President Snow's office."

The amusement faded from Chaff's face as he looked at Haymitch. Haymitch, a slur of curse words spinning around in his mind, looked at Seneca and nodded. Crossing his arms over his chest, he looked over at Chaff and shrugged uncertain of how this meeting would pan out. It was, after all, never a good thing to be summoned by Snow.

"If you could please follow me," Seneca insisted, trying to hurry Haymitch along. "It's not very wise to keep him waiting."

Haymitch rolled his eyes, his own fingers digging into the flesh of his arm as he left Chaff's side without another word and followed Seneca towards the old, rickety elevator located behind the many piles of logs in the building. Wondering exactly what Snow had intended for him.

**xXx**

The cerulean eyes of President Snow made a feeling of uneasiness crawl up Haymitch's spine as the company head seemed to study him carefully. President Snow did not look like someone who lived in the town. Actually, for all Haymitch knew, the man didn't. Nevertheless, the pressed suit and rose lapel did not mix well from the atmosphere of the area and that alone did not bring him any comfort.

"Mr. Haymitch Abernathy, was it?" Snow began, arms resting on the edge of his desk. "First time I've seen you in person. However, this is not the first time I've seen your name on my list."

"List," Haymitch inquired before quickly adding. "Sir?"

Snow nodded, "My list of incompetent workers." His voice was surprisingly calm, but undeniably cold as he retrieved the clipboard Haymitch remembered Seneca carrying earlier. "Says here that this is the seventh time you've arrived late for your shift in the past few weeks. Care to explain, Mr. Abernathy?"

"I apologize, sir," Haymitch began. "I have a daughter and since the death of my-"

Snow held up his hand and Haymitch was immediately silenced. "You forget, Mr. Abernathy, that many of your fellow workers too lost their loved ones in that horrific accident last year," there was no sympathy in his voice. "But they all seem to make it here on time. What makes this action excusable for you when others in the same situation are doing just fine?"

"I..." Haymitch started, racking his mind for a good reason. He found none. "Please sir, I have to have this job. My kid, I need to support her. If you fire me, I can't-"

"Now, Mr. Abernathy," Snow interrupted, his voice if it could would be laced with arsenic. "When did I ever imply that I had any intentions of firing you? You really should think before you jump to conclusions. It's a habit that could get you into a lot of trouble."

Haymitch watched as Snow seemed to study the clipboard once more before looking back at Haymitch with an unreadable expression. Suddenly, Haymitch wished that if the man had plans to fire him, he'd just get it over with now. The uncomfortable atmosphere that had begun to form in the room was near to unbearable.

"But back to the idea of terminated from this company," Snow stated. "Unemployment would be very non-beneficial to your livelihood, wouldn't it, Mr, Abernathy?" Haymitch opened his mouth to respond but Snow quickly cut him off. "I have a child too, Mr. Abernathy. A granddaughter. Cora." He turned a picture on his desk to face Haymitch. In it, a young girl not much older than Katniss smiled back at him with blond ringlets and eyes the same shade of blue as her grandfather. "I love my Cora, Mr. Abernathy. Do you love your daughter?"

"Yes," Haymitch whispered roughly. "Very much."

Snow nodded thoughtfully and turned the photo back to face him. "As you very well should." He fell silent for a moment, his eyes fixated on a clock in the corner of his office. "I'm going to make a deal with you, Mr. Abernathy. One I do not make often. Are you listening?"

Haymitch nodded.

"Good. Now, I'll tell you what. As a father and grandfather myself, I pity you and your daughter. It cannot be easy growing up without a mother-even more so with a father as irresponsible as yourself. So for the sake of your child, I'll allow you to keep your job. This once. Consider it a favor that I expect to be repaid someday. But should you fail and come to work late once again, I cannot promise I will be as nice."

Haymitch nodded vigorously, a smile of relief forming on his lips. "Yes sir," he breathed. "Thank you, sir."

"We'll be in contact, Mr. Abernathy," Snow replied. "Now, you may leave and return to your job. That lumber isn't going to prepare itself."

Haymitch turned to leave, his tense body position relaxing as he reached for the handle of the door. As he began to turn it, the sound of Snow clearing his throat stopped him in his tracks. A sense of dread came over him as he slowly turned around, ready to hear the worst.

"Oh, one more thing before you go, Mr. Abernathy," Snow added. "Unfortunately, it would be wrong of me to just allow you to get off with nothing more than simply a warning. So, for the entire week, I'm going to have to dock your pay." And slowly, the plump, unnaturally red lips of the man formed into a smile. "Consider it a form of an incentive to do well. Until next time, Mr. Abernathy."

**xXx**

Haymitch's foot pressed down on the pedal of his car a little too hard and the vehicle groaned as it sped away from the large warehouse of Capitol Lumber. His fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly as he drove off through the pouring rain after his work shift had ended for the day. Another undesirable day to add to his collection of terrible times.

"No paycheck this week," Haymitch hissed to himself as he shoved the lever down that worked the windshield wipers. "How the hell does he expect for me to get groceries or pay the mortgage on my house this week?! Damn this job."

Another car honked it him before they pulled into the other lane and sped past him, evidently displeased with the speed he was going. Flipping them off, Haymitch returned to his grumbling, his mind elsewhere as his eyes watched the road. How was he going to explain to Katniss that they would have to wait a week before getting the school supplies she needed for class? Nothing ever seemed to go the way he wished it to.

As he neared a curve the road turned into, something suddenly jumped out in his path of vision. A figure, drenched in water with their arms flailing, they stood right in the center lane where his vehicle was quickly speeding towards. His foot slammed on the break, the car screeching loudly as it attempted to stop immediately from the fast pace it had been driving. Haymitch was thrown forward, his chest slamming against the steering wheel just as his car halted a mere few feet from the figure.

"Oh thank god!" A muffled voice came from outside his driver window. "You actually stopped!"

Both alarmed and angered by the fact this person could have very well caused an accident, Haymitch rolled down his window only to see the one other person besides President Snow he really wished to never cross paths with again. Soppy wet, her makeup askew, Effie Trinket stood right outside his window shivering violently as the thunder boomed overhead.

"Oh," she said, slightly disappointment etched in her tone. "It's you."

"The hell it is," Haymitch shouted over the roar of the rain. "Dammit are you insane?! I could have killed you! What the hell possessed you to run in front of a moving car like that?! Do you not think?!"

"Well how else would you have been able to spot me?!" She hissed through chattering teeth. "I did what I had to! These roads are so windy that I accidentally over-corrected and drove right into a ditch! My poor, very expensive car is now trapped in the mud and I can't seem to get it out!"

"That's not my problem!" Haymitch yelled. "You should have been more careful!"

"You don't have to be so rude!" Effie frowned. "How was I supposed to know how dreadful these road are?! Why, you should have them fixed immediately because of the danger they pose. I'll be writing a letter to the government of this establishment as soon as I return to my house!"

"Have fun with that," Haymitch said, placing his foot on the gas in anticipation to drive off. "May the odds be ever in your favor."

Haymitch muttered something under his breath as he slowly began to move the car forward. However, the woman attached to the side was making it near impossible for him to have a good view out the window. Sighing, he stamped his foot on the break again and looked towards the obviously cold, frightened Effie. He knew he would regret this decision later.

"Get in."

A relieved smile formed on the teacher's face as she quickly hurried to the other side of the car and got in. Haymitch watched her out of the corner of his eye as she adjusted her wig over the blonde locks of hair that had just barely began to slip through under the wig's net. Exhaling, she hugged herself tightly as she looked over at him.

"Well, I'll just use your phone and be on my merry way," she said, looking at him hopefully.

"Haven't got one," Haymitch admitted. "'Least not mobile. I've got one at the house."

"What?!" Effie gasped. "How does anyone not have a cell phone?" The look of irony on Haymitch's face silenced her immediately and she looked back out the window with a frown. "Well, I refuse to leave my car. What if someone robs it?!"

"No one is going to come out in this storm," he commented. "At least, anyone with sense."

Effie glared at him momentarily before returning her attention back to the window. "Well, I refuse to leave it alone! It just isn't right!"

"Would you rather let me leave you out here to freeze?" Haymitch growled. "Because I would be more than willing to at this point." Effie snapped her head around to look at him, an mixed expression of fear and shock etched on her features. Haymitch sighed, silently cursing himself once more in his mind. "We'll call the tow company from my house," he told her. "Then I'll drive you back to your car and we can pretend this never happened."

Effie seemed to consider the idea for a moment. Then, after a long pause, she exhaled once more and gave a nod. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to leave it alone if just for a little while."

"Great," Haymitch said unenthusiastically. "Buckle up."

And before the woman had a second to respond, Haymitch pressed the gas pedal down and the car zoomed through the night with the two unlikeliest of people sitting in its interior. Something Haymitch only hoped was just a one time ordeal. But, when had luck ever been on his side?

**I quite enjoyed this chapter. Chaff was a lot of fun to write and I've had the Effie-gets-her-car-stuck scene in my mind for the past few days. Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter as much as I did. More Effie and Haymitch interaction to ensue in the next! Feedback is greatly loved and appreciated and are great motivators to faster updates. Until next time! -Jen (P.S for those who also read "Of Perfume, Liquor, and Baby Bottles" there will be an update for that sometime this week as well-if all goes according to plan. I am in a writing mode/mood that has not existed in me in a long time)!**


	4. Turquoise

**Huge thanks to Sam-Daughter Of Athena, Juliet's Shadow, tap-Violeta, Deadlyrose70, allonsysilvertongue, moonlight goose, Dawn, Alice, Lizzle96, YouClickedMe, HogwartsDreamer113, True Love's Kis5, SonataEternal, TheBlondeAvenger, coracrawley, xx-Want-A-Sugar-Cube-xx, Effie-Haymitch3, Cometas Por El Cielo, LadyBonbonsOfPandaland, CloveLudwig99, guest, boohOo91, ThatPerfectPairLover, and Narcissesme for your lovely feedback messages left for the last chapter! Seriously folks, I really appreciate all the wonderful support this story has gotten. It isn't my usual genre so I thank you all for the much needed motivation. Alright, without further ado, here is the next chapter.  
**

Chapter four: Turquoise

The windshield wipers whined relentlessly as Haymitch's old car pushed through the storm. Despite its age, it was a reliable little vehicle and had served him well throughout the years. Yet, there wasn't much use in trying to convince the woman beside him of that. Every pothole they hit or splutter the engine made seemed to cause Effie to stiffen rather noticeably. Maybe if he had liked her better, he would have at least attempted to assure her that the car wouldn't give way into a million pieces at any given moment. But her discomfort was rather comical to him, so for now he'd leave it be until he otherwise found it annoying.

"Is the weather always this dreadful?" Effie asked, absentmindedly tugging at her seat belt as if to check its security. "At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if we all had to take boats out tomorrow. These roads seem terribly undrained. By now, I would have thought the mayor might have invested in some much needed gutters."

"Unfortunately," Haymitch muttered, his hands gripping the wheel as they hit a sharp turn. "This town isn't as economically prosperous as what you're used to."

The tires hissed as he veered sharply on yet another bend in the road. As a result, a soft gasp escaped from between Effie's lips and she pushed herself further into the seat. Haymitch watched her from the corner of his eye, unsure whether to laugh or groan at her ability to think that that would protect her from some impending accident. But deciding it best to just ignore her anxiety, he instead reached forward and pressed the worn radio button near the dashboard.

"I wasn't trying to be rude, you know," Effie said quietly over the light thrum of Bruce Springsteen's Glory Days. "Just making an observation. You're rather prickly-another observation-and I just thought that maybe some light conversation would do us both some good."

"I'm not a talker," Haymitch replied. "And I agreed to drive you to a phone, not catch up on the daily gossip."

"No one in this town seems to be," she sighed. "It's rather depressing, actually. Not very welcoming in the least bit. It's no wonder why you don't have tourists sprouting from every corner. Believe it or not, I think that if the people here would be a little less reclusive, you'd have a booming vacation attraction. The rural flavor of the area is very cosy-for the most part. Maybe a little less with the weather..."

Haymitch watched her through the rear view mirror. "You really aren't from anywhere near here, are you?"

She exhaled, looking at him. "Am I really that obvious?"

His lips twitched into what she could've sworn was a smirk," Just an observation."

She frowned slightly, her gaze returning to the window. "I was raised up north in the city," she admitted. "It was nice having a place to shop only a walk's distance away. Or having food delivered right to your doorstep. The only reason I moved out here was because it was the only place I could find a job." Her shoulders slumped slightly. "I miss my home. But there are always the winter and summer breaks that are open for visits." She looked back to him, a smile on her face. "So, that's a summary of my life story. What about you? Have you always lived here?"

"Yep," Haymitch said keeping his eyes on the road.

"...Anything else?" she inquired. "What about a job? Surely you must have one of those. You had to be coming from somewhere and I assume it wasn't from home. After all, someone else picked up your daughter today-who you've yet to ask me how she did in school today."

"I don't need to ask," Haymitch muttered, pulling down a street. "Katniss is a good kid. I trust her. Now, if you could just sit back and shut your mouth so I don't lose control of this car and kill us both, that'd be great."

Effie said nothing as he cranked up the volume of his radio and continued to drive down the road. Only redirecting his attention once when one of his more favored Springsteen songs began to play.

**xXx**

Hazelle Hawthorne had left the porch light on when Haymitch finally pulled up into the driveway. He could see figures moving in the window as he undid his seat belt. However, he only got as far as opening the driver side door when Katniss appeared. She didn't even acknowledge his existence as she made her way to the car and got in. He waited, counting back in his head until she realized they weren't alone. Three...two...one...

"Dad?"

Effie had opened her mouth before he had a chance. "Katniss," she beamed. "A pleasure and quite a surprise-on your part-to be seeing each other so soon again! My car was run off the road-"

"Dad!" Katniss exclaimed, a look of horror plastered on her face as she gazed at Haymitch.

"No, no," Effie said with a wave of her hand. "He wasn't the cause, no. It was this terrible rain. Forced me right into a ditch. But no worries, dear. I will be phoning the board members of this town upon my retrieval of my little car so that this will not happen again," she inhaled. "Anyway, your father was kind enough to give me a ride to your house to use your phone."

"Wouldn't use the word 'kind'," Haymitch muttered, starting the engine. "More of 'forced unless I wanted to be jailed for manslaughter because someone wouldn't let go of my car'. But if you want to abbreviate that, then by all means."

Once again, he ignored Effie as she threw him a look. The sooner he got her to the house, the quicker she'd be out of their lives-or, at least his for that matter. Katniss wouldn't be so lucky. Glancing back to make sure nothing was obstructing his path of moving, he pulled out of the driveway and started towards his home. Nonchalantly turning his music up a little louder when Effie attempted to have a conversation with Katniss about some latest child fashion she had read about in a magazine.

**xXx**

"So...this is your...house?"

If he hadn't regretted bring his daughter's teacher home with him before, he certainty was now. Effie Trinket stood in the dark living room with an unreadable expression. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but it definitely was not this. Dirty carpet. Odd odor. It was as if Haymitch hadn't ever bothered to clean the place. Shaking her head, the woman of higher living standards took a step forward, stepping in something wet she'd rather not like to think about.

"Home sweet home," Haymitch's tone was sarcastic as he closed the door behind them. "Excuse the mess."

Her eyes followed Katniss as the kindergartner shuffled up the steps towards what Effie could only assume was her room. A rather dreary place to inhabit, especially for a child. But, of course, this was a different social group than what she was used to. Perhaps it was normal. She took another step, hitting something with the toe of her heel she didn't care to observe as it scurried away. Or not.

"Phone's in the kitchen," Haymitch's stated, nodding towards an even smaller room. "The tower's number should be on the fridge."

"Thank you," Effie said quietly, her lips pressed firmly together as she walked past him and into the other room. "I should be out of your hair shortly."

It was surprisingly not hard to locate the phone as Effie's eyes scanned the kitchen. Despite Haymitch's lack of enthusiasm in the department of help, she managed to find it nestled between old newspapers and open, half used packets of oatmeal. Carefully, she lifted up the device with a paper towel (as she no longer trusted anything not to be grimy in that household) and dialed the appropriate number. Perhaps if she were lucky, maybe this man would even pick her up from here so she didn't have to 'bother' Haymitch for another ride out. Sighing, she held the phone a few centimeters away from her head and listened.

_"Hello. This is Brutus's Towing Company," _an animated voice explained. _"Unfortunately, we are closed at this time. Our hours are seven in the morning until five in the evening from Monday through Sunday. Please try again at the next appropriate hour." _

Numbly, Effie placed the phone back down in its makeshift cradle. She hesitated, wondering if she had heard wrong and should dial again. Her poor car. Her brand new, highly expensive, turquoise car was sitting out in a ditch somewhere getting rained on and ruined. But what seemed even worse was the man waiting for a response in the living room. It was evident he really did not wish for her to be here and quite frankly, she found the feeling to be quite mutual. Inhaling, tears prickling in her eyes at the thought of her vehicle being tarnished, Effie stepped into the now dimly lit sitting room. Haymitch looked up from his spot on the couch, a feeling of uncertainty twisting in his stomach as the teacher cleared her throat.

"I..."

And without warning, right before his very eyes, she burst into tears. Haymitch exhaled, his fingers pressed roughly to his temples. This was going to be one hell of a long night.

**I seriously apologize for the shortness of this chapter and if it seems a bit rushed. I felt bad not having anything posted for a little over a month now and had a slight moment of writer's block breakthrough. With my new semester of college starting, I just wanted to get a little something post. I promise my chapters will get longer (usually I prefer to write 3,000 to 4,000 word updates and this was about half that). But feedback is greatly loved and appreciated and definitely is one of the greatest motivators any writer would be lucky enough to receive. Alright, I've stayed long enough in my college library. I should probably go and try to locate some food. Happy belated New Year's, folks! -Jen**


	5. Navy

**As it is always accustomed, many thanks to IZandJAZZthoseBFFS, Dawn, XmadlyinloveX, accio-divergent-mockingjays, NurseKelly, moonlight goose, True Love's Kis5, Sam-Daughter Of Athena, Clara Meliza, Guest, RonaldGarcia91, LadyBonbonsOfPandaland, TragicallyBeautifulxx, mac-reye, Jac Danvers, Alice, Deadlyrose70, HogwartsDreamer113, coracrawley, and lilyamongthorns for your lovely reviews left for last chapter! This story is so close to a hundred reviews, I can't believe it! So virtual hugs to all! Alrighty, now for the next chapter.  
**

Chapter five: Navy

"Now!"

The sound of Haymitch's voice was drowned out by the choked roar of a car engine. Mud and rainwater clung to his skin as he pressed the weight of his body against the back of the kindergarten teacher's car, pushing with all his might as the wheels spun relentlessly in their sunken prison of saturated ground. His shirt hung heavy and wet on his arms and torso, the chill of the storm nipping mercilessly at his already cold person. Why had he agreed to this? When had he ever agreed to this?

"Stop!" he shouted, dark sludge sloshing across his face as the tires quickened their speed. "Stop! Stop! Goddammit, stop!"

The smell of rubber and exhaust fumes burned Haymitch's lungs as the rotating wheels whined to a halt. He snorted, rubbing away at the mud under his nose and mouth as he stormed up to the driver's window. Inside, much warmer and drier than he was, Effie Trinket peered curiously back out at him. He waved his hand vigorously, motioning for her to roll the window down.

"I said to drive," he hissed, nearly having to scream over the torrent of rain. "Not to gun it!"

"You needn't be so sharp about it," Effie exclaimed, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the steering wheel. "You don't understand how terrifying this is!"

"Right," Haymitch muttered. "Because you have a lot to worry about in that damn thing while I'm out here risking possibly getting backed over by it."

"What?" she shouted, unable to hear his comment over the downpour. "You want me to back up?"

"No! No!" he groaned. "Just...just put your foot on the gas pedal and wait for my command."

Haymitch began to trudge back to his original position behind the car. For a moment, his eyes flickered up to the side of the road, noting the dim lights from his own vehicle's hazards blinking in the mist. He could've almost sworn that he saw Katniss's face pressed up against the glass, watching him as he tried to free her teacher's only means of transportation from the ditch. It was far past her bedtime. Hell, it was probably even way past his. But it wasn't like either of them would get much unless this task was accomplished first.

Water had begun to pool where Effie's tread marks dug deep into the earth. Haymitch could feel the cold liquid soaking into his shoes as he leaned heaving against the rear bumper, hands firmly held against the slick surface of her car. His back wasn't made for this. Not at this age. Honestly, not really ever. But there was always medication to deal with the aches. Alcohol too. Inhaling, he began to push, oxygen tingling against his already raw throat.

"Now!"

It sounded more like an animal in distress than a car as Effie's foot slammed down on the accelerator. Dirt flew in every which direction, this time accompanied by rocks. Some sharp smacked into Haymitch's lip and the faint rusty taste of blood soon found its way onto his tongue. This was why there were towing companies. This was why if you didn't know how to drive in a damn storm, you stayed off the road. This was why he didn't like to deal with people. Cursing under hid breath, the lumberman shoved up against the vehicle, feeling it slowly move up the incline inch by inch.

"No, no, no!" He shouted, noticing when Effie started to lift her foot from the pedal. "Keep going! Dammit, it's going to crush me! Keep going!"

The car lurched forward, moving painstakingly slow as it finally mounted the top of the peak. Haymitch could feel the eroded ground giving underneath the combination of both his weight and the vehicle as he slipped to his knees, splattering dirty water everywhere as the car seemed to regain its normal motion. The taillights, though speckled with dark grim, glowed through the rain as Effie drove forward, only stopping when her ride was parallel to his.

"Oh my," it was a shrill cry of relief that seemed to echo much louder than any other noise. "Oh my, you saved it. You _saved_ it!"

His muscles had already begun to ache as Haymitch pulled himself to his feet. Adrenaline gone, the unmistakable wave of exhaustion overcame him as he practically limped over to the two cars. Effie leaned out of her window, far enough to where he could see her obnoxious grin but not some much as getting wet. She acted as if the damn thing was a baby. A treasure. It was so utterly ridiculous that if he wasn't so tired, Haymitch might have made a crack about it.

"Thank you," she exhaled, eyes locking with his. "Just...thank you. I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to my poor little mobile!"

He honestly did not want to even think about that possibility. Grunting, he pushed back his soaked hair, looking at the woman wearily as she blabbered on about how important this car was to her and how much it would have cost to replace it and so forth. He just wanted to go home. Forget about this. All of this. And never be faced with this insane woman again.

"I need to get Katniss home," he muttered, glancing over at his own vehicle. "She's got school in the morning."

"Right," Effie nodded, her smile seeming to oddly fade. "Right...of course. Of course she does."

"Yeah," Haymitch shoved his hands into his pockets, searching for his keys. "Better get going then. Try to stay out of ditches. Not everyone around here will push your car out for you without an ultimatum."

He went to his driver side door, opening it with a soft click. His body felt weighed down as he slid inside, gripping the handle to slam it shut when Effie called out to him once more. His body tensed, his nerves on their last end as he inhaled.

"Oh Mr. Abernathy," she called out. "You..." there was a moment of pause, a slight hint of hesitation as if she were reconsidering her words. "You drive safely too. These are poorly constructed roads after all."

"Right," Haymitch mumbled. "Of course."

It took all of his remaining energy to keep awake as Haymitch drove back towards his house. Every so often, he looked into his rear-view mirror, noting the sleeping child half sitting, half laying across the worn fabric seats. He twang of guilt as he pulled up into the driveway. He hadn't meant to drag her out. If it wasn't for his concern of hearing her teacher chide him about leaving a six year old home alone, he would have left her be. Shaking his head, he parked the car in front of the house, attempting to be rather silent as he slipped from the driver's seat and made his way to the side to retrieve Katniss.

Maybe it was that he was getting old. Or perhaps that he was drained from helping her teacher. But Haymitch struggled slightly as he carried his daughter up the steps towards her room, finding her much heavier than he remembered. Carefully, he set her onto her bed, taking only her shoes off before casting them in the corner. He decided her clothes weren't wet enough to be uncomfortable as he gingerly covered her with a nearby quilt.

The floorboards creaked softly as he made his way to the door, casting one final glance at his sleeping daughter before pulling the entrance shut. Haymitch yawned, his skin itching slightly under the smudges of drying mud as he began his descent down the stairs. He'd bathe in the morning when he wasn't so worried about falling asleep in the shower and inadvertently drying up their well.

Flipping the lights on in the kitchen, his eyes scanned the interior in search of one thing. He found it, a half drained bottle nestled between old newspaper and flyers for several takeout places that knew him by name. He grabbed it, swallowing the bitter drink down even before taking a seat among the couch cushions. The haze of sleep crept over him, the colors of the room blending into one as he succumbed to unconsciousness.

**xXx**

"Alright if I top you off?"

Haymitch nodded slowly, his head aching as Greasy Sae poured more black coffee into his cup (which sounded more like a waterfall than a drink being filled due to his hangover). The diner was unusually quiet that morning as he brought the steaming mug to his lips, the bitter taste slipping down his throat and warming his body where the alcohol had failed. He was exhausted. Not in the way he normally was. No, this was an entirely different sort of tiredness. The aching kind. The physical kind. Snorting, he inhaled deeply, setting his cup down as he reached over to pick at a waffle Greasy Sae had brought him.

"Rough night?" the woman asked, hand on her hip as she looked down at Haymitch. He nodded, tearing as his waffle absentmindedly. "Good to see you around at least. It's been awhile, Abernathy. How's the girl."

"School," he mumbled, perhaps not giving the answer she had wanted to hear. "Dropped her off a little while ago. Don't make much sense going back home. Half day today."

An '_ah_' of understanding escaped from Sae's mouth as she refilled his coffee cup once more. He took it graciously in his hands, sipping quietly at its contents. When his wife was still alive, he used to come here often before work. It was a dive, nothing fancy or rather note worthy, but the people and staff had always treated him more as a part of the family than a means of income. And for him, even if the food was either on the verge of bring too bland or too over-spiced and the coffee obnoxiously strong, it was enough to bring him back.

"Should bring her around sometime," Sae commented, a slight hint of annoyance as she watched Haymitch continue to mutilate his 'on-the-house' meal. "My girl's not much older than her," she tapped her forehead. "Light bulb's kinda dim, but she means well. Doesn't fall too far from the tree than her mother, that one. But she's still my granddaughter nevertheless."

"Yeah," Haymitch shrugged. "Maybe when she's not busy with school or something."

"Speaking of that school," Sae mused, leaning against the pew of Haymitch's booth. "Strange people they are hiring these days, I gotta say. Had one of those teachers come in. Young woman, much too energetic for any normal human being around parts. Had the nerve to ask me what kinds of lattes we sell. So I'm thinking to myself, 'what the hell is a latte?'. I just gave her a cup of coffee, threw extra sugar in it and tossed some whip cream on top. She seemed pleased with it."

Haymitch nearly spit out his coffee as Sae continued to go on about how ridiculous this new customer was. Effie Trinket. Oh, he knew very well how outlandish she was. And what was even worse than that, he didn't seem to be able to get away from this woman. Not even at this rundown diner. Breathing in, he swallowed the rest of his drink. He thought about asking Greasy Sae details about her. '_Was she wearing a wig?' 'Why yes,' Sae would say. 'You know her?' 'Wish I didn't,' he'd reply. _Shaking his head, he began to fumble around in his pocket, attempting to retrieve his worn leather wallet.

"How much do I owe you?" he asked, flipping through the crinkled bills that nested in their pocket.

Sae waved her hand, "Don't worry about it. It's on the house."

Haymitch nodded, grabbing his coat from the seat beside him. Sae had always been good to him. Reminded him a little of his own late mother. Slipping his jacket on, he headed towards the exit, hands shoved deep in the pockets as he prepared to meet the cold front the rainstorm last night had washed in.

"You come back now," he could hear Sae call out. "And bring that girl of yours with ya!"

**xXx**

Katniss didn't greet him as she climbed into the backseat of the car. Then again, she never really did so any other time. He mumbled his own sort of hello, driving off before the other drivers behind him in the carpool could honk at him to move forward. As he drove down the road, he glanced into his rear-view mirror, watching as his daughter seemed to retrieve some sort of navy colored envelope from the front pocket of her backpack.

"How was school?" he asked, turning down a bend.

"Fine," she said quietly. "You didn't have to come. Ms. Hawthorne thought she was picking me up."

"I wanted to," he tried to sound happy, but the words came out in the same, lazy drawl they always did. "I waited around out the diner so I could get you. Sae misses you. Says we should come by some time. Maybe for dinner one night."

"Yeah," Katniss agreed quietly. "Maybe."

Down the long stretch of road, Haymitch could just barely make out the outline of their house. It seemed even more gloomy in the daylight then it did during the storm. Maybe it was just one of those mornings. One of those days he'd promise himself that when it got warmer, he'd do some cleaning up. Of course, it'd never happen.

"I was thinking," he began, pulling up into the driveway. "That maybe...if you wanted to, we could drive out into town and see a movie or something. Had a little more money left over from paying the mortgage than I thought I would. Some guys at the diner mentioned that there was a good Disney movie out. You like Disney, right?"

He was trying. He was trying so hard to act like a normal father. Movies. Dinner. Wasn't that what most parents did with their kids? He was losing Katniss. He knew he was. And it was his fault. He had to try to be that parent for her. Bring back some sort of normalcy in their lives that had been absent since her mother's death.

"What do you say?"

Instead of a reply or even a hint there of, Haymitch found a letter thrust into his open hand. He glanced down, noticing it was the same one Katniss had been cradling for the entire ride home. His gaze lifted, locking on Katniss's through the car mirror.

"Ms. Trinket wanted me to give you that," she nodded. "Said it was important."

Inhaling, he pulled open the flap a little too roughly. The papering tore around the edges causing the light, cream colored note inside to slip out. He watched as it fluttered down into his lap, catching it right before it tumbled down to the floor. He brought it close to his face, studying the curly, microscopic print scrawled across the surface.

_Dear Mr. Abernathy, _it read.

_I just wanted to thank you again for everything you did for me yesterday. You really didn't have to do that, but I am so grateful you did. Since you seem like someone who wouldn't take money as a means of thank you, I feel it's only customary for me to found another way to show my gratitude. Allow me to take you out to dinner. My treat. You choose the location as you know more about this town than I do, and we shall go there. As friends, of course. It's the least I can do. _

_Sincerely, _

_Effie Trinket_

_P.S: This is not a question, it's a requirement. I must insist. _

_P.P.S: I won't take no for an answer. _

_P.P.P.S: I just wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't get to thank you properly. You know how that goes don't you?_

_Finished and formally yours,_

_Effie Trinket_

**Okay, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! AS promised, it was significantly longer than the latter! I absolutely adored writing it! I have so many things planned after brainstorming with a lovely friend of mine, I cannot wait to write them! Oh, to clear it up. No, Effie does not love Haymitch yet or remotely find him appealing. But he is, after all, the only person she's really officially met in this new town and therefore kind of wants to stick by him (much to his annoyance) as she is rather lonely. Feedback is greatly loved and appreciated and seriously motivates me when continuing! Alright, until next update! -Jen**


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